Evans, 52, from Pontarddulais, Swansea, had been on the run for three years after failing to return to a prison after being released for a few days on licence in 2011.

He was serving 21 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine and fraudulent trading.

A one time double glazing company owner, Evans, a former Wales Young Businessman of the Year, featured prominently in the Operation Zygos “Britain’s most wanted” campaign run by the National Crime Agency and Crimestoppers UK, aimed at recovering high profile fugitives.

Evans was apprehended at a housing complex in the Midrand area of Johannesburg last Saturday after investigators from the National Crime Agency alerted Interpol Evans was in South Africa which led to in intelligence-led surveillance operations by the South African Police Service.

The operations led to Evans being tracked down to the housing complex where officers swooped as he was getting out of his car. He will now appear at Pretoria Regional Court on Monday for a procedural extradition hearing.

Hank Cole, Head of International Operations for the NCA, said: “The exceptional level of collaboration and intelligence sharing with the South African Police Service led to Evans’ capture.

“The arrest shows the NCA and its partners will pursue fugitives wherever they are. They can run but they can’t hide. We’ve the capability to track them down.”

General Riah Phiyega, South Africa National Police Commissioner, said: “Both the Crime Intelligence and Interpol teams worked tirelessly to honour the request of our British counterparts and we applaud them for this.”

British High Commissioner to South Africa Judith Macgregor said: “This arrest is testimony to the close working relationship between the UK and South Africa on security issues including tackling drug trafficking, organised and fiscal crime.”

Evans, who had assets in the Caribbean, Marbella and Switzerland, swindled more than 100 investors out of £900,000 in his bogus ostrich breeding business in Swansea and masterminded a cocaine and money laundering operation from Holland.